VA PrideFest brings thousands of people to Brown’s Island in September. (Photo by Adam DuBrueler)
Tens of thousands flock to Richmond’s VA PrideFest at Brown’s Island — the local rendition of “pride” events celebrating the LGBTQ+ community — dripping in glitter and face paint, dressed head to toe in the colors of the rainbow. The love and acceptance are palpable each year — but it wasn’t always that way.
In 1969, six days of riots ensued in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan after police raided the Stonewall Inn — a popular gay bar in New York City. The violent demonstrations were one of the catalysts of the Gay Liberation Movement in the United States — a period from the late 1960s to the ’80s characterized by increased political activism and visibility among the LGBTQ+ community.
“People started to recognize and observe a pride celebration or protest as a way of advocating for civil rights for gay and lesbian people at the time,” says James Millner, president of the statewide nonprofit organization Virginia Pride, which has hosted VA PrideFest since 2007.
The event moved from Kanawha Plaza downtown to Brown’s Island in 2014, and while the group feared a lack of resources and funding in taking on a larger venue, it was a move that paid off.
“We genuinely felt that this community deserves to have its annual festival in the same place as other big city events,” Millner says. “In other words, we weren’t going to be put in a small city park where nobody saw us.”
The thought of holding VA PrideFest at a smaller location seems unfathomable in 2019; just last year, Millner says, more than 30,000 people attended the event — including the governor and other elected officials. Virginia Pride is in the early stages of planning this year’s festival, but attendees can look forward to another day of fun in an atmosphere of inclusiveness and community — topped off with a flourish of glitter and bubbles.
Organizers say VA PrideFest is the state’s largest annual celebration of the LGBTQ+ community. (Photo by Adam DuBrueler)
Held annually on Brown’s Island in September, the event ties together community, promotes awareness of issues affecting the LGBTQ+ community and represents a celebration of diversity. In addition to food and retail vendors, two stages host acclaimed local and national music acts, drag performers, magicians, and comedians. Last year, Akashia and Alexis Michelle from Logo TV’s “RuPaul’s Drag Race” were among the performers; local alt-R&B singer and songwriter Shy Lennox also took to the stage for his second appearance at the festival.
“I think it is a place of community. People can come to feel safe and to experience a life outside the normal everyday structure we go through,” Lennox says. “I think it’s a chance for people who aren’t queer to come and see a taste of queer culture.”
Organizations such as Diversity Richmond, Side by Side and Equality Virginia also attend the event, providing resources and information to and for the LGBTQ+ community. The festival also provides a safe space for younger participants; the Youth Pride Village features entertainment and activities such as bubble soccer, face painting and art projects.
“People have gotten to know us, and that has brought about the change.” —Bill Harrison, Diversity Richmond executive director
Richmond’s first celebration came 10 years after the Stonewall riots, in 1979; it was an event born in commemoration, honoring the heritage and culture of the LGBTQ+ community — a stark contrast to the violence and chaos of the conflict at the Stonewall Inn. Diversity Richmond Executive Director Bill Harrison co-chaired Richmond’s first pride event and has been to nearly each one since. He says even though festival-goers enjoy the glitter, dancing and laughter that pride celebrations have brought the city for more than 30 years, the greater impact lies within the resulting visibility and community togetherness.
“People have gotten to know us, and that has brought about the change,” Harrison says.
And that change was a long time coming. Beth Marschak, a member of the Richmond Lesbian and Gay Pride Coalition, helped organize Richmond’s first pride celebration in June 1979, when other cities across the country held similar events. In 1986, the coalition incorporated, and the pride events expanded to include a film festival and other programs. The 1990 festival also brought back the pride parade tradition, with a procession from Cary Street to Byrd Park.
“That was one of the more friendly areas in Richmond for the LGBTQ+ people, and it still is,” Marschak says. “I know. I was the person who got the permits from the city, and that was a real hassle. I told them we had a constitutional right to march. A couple of days later, they gave us a permit.”
